Turmoil [Emmett Cullen] (3)

[16- Intruder]

It was just past 11 when Jasper's phone rang.

"Jasper," Edward began immediately. "A vampire has been here looking for Bella. I don't recognise the scent. I need to get her out of here." Alarm bells started ringing in my head. Emmett and I both rushed downstairs.

"I'll come over now," Jasper replied, his tone low.

"Good. Bring Eleanor. Track him. Make sure Charlie is safe. See you at home." I exchanged a sympathetic gaze at Emmett and we rushed towards Bella's.

Jasper and I had unspoken communication. I could tell by the slightest change in his expression what he was thinking. Despite his calm demeanour, I could tell he had never encounter this scent before. Jasper intently followed the scent while I swept in an wide arc like motion behind him, making sure we didn't miss anything.

The faint trail led east and then south, before it disappeared onto a side road.

"There was a car waiting," Jasper grimaced, signalling to the faint tire tracks left in the dirt. We were too late. I was wracking my mind for an explanation. This intruder managed to sneak into Bella's house, leaving no evidence beside their scent. What was their motive? Why didn't I catch this? I could have literally installed a tiny security camera outside Bella's house. I could have had a satellite to track the intruder's heat signature. But nothing. I managed to do nothing.

Jasper broke off a piece of fern that smelt strongly of the intruder and we ran back home.

Everyone was waiting for us in the living room, anxiety painted on their faces.

"The intruder was long gone. There was a car waiting," I announced.

Jasper held out the fern, "Do you know the scent?"

He passed it to Carlisle who took a whiff of it.

"No," Carlisle said. "Not familiar. No one I've ever met."

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. Perhaps it's a coincidence..." Esme suggested. We all looked at her in disbelief. "I don't mean a coincidence that a stranger happened to pick Bella's house to visit at random. Maybe someone was just curious. Our scent is all around here. He could have been wondering what draws us there."

"Why wouldn't he just come here then? If he was curious?" Emmett asked.

"You would," Esme smiled. "Our family is large– they might have been frightened. We don't know for sure that they are an enemy." As much as I wanted to believe that their intentions were good, the strategic part of my mind knew better.

Alice agreed, "I don't think so. The timing of it was too perfect.... This visitor was so careful to make no contact. Almost like he or she knew that I would see....". Alice was right; this person managed to evade her with this undetected visit. Most vampires wouldn't know about Alice's gift, let alone the extent and limitations of it.

"He could have other reasons for not making contact," Esme pointed out.

"Does it really matter who it was?" Bella asked. "Just the chance that someone was looking for me...isn't that reason enough? We shouldn't wait for graduation."

And right on que, Edward interrupted, "No, Bella, it's not that bad. If you're really in danger, we'll know."

"Think of Charlie," Carlisle reminded her. "Think of how it would hurt him if you disappeared."

"I am thinking of Charlie! He's the one I'm worried about! What if my little guest had happened to be thirsty last night? As long as I'm around Charlie, he's a target, too. If anything happened to him, it would be all my fault!"